1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for treating ballast water charged in a ship, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for treating ship ballast water using electron beams, which can prevent the occurrence of red tide by destroying and damaging the cells of harmful marine organisms, including viruses, bacteria and red algae, that are present in the ballast water, by electron beam irradiation, and thus can remove various contaminants from the ballast water and increase the efficiency of treatment of the ballast water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a ship repeats a process of charging ballast water into a ballast tank or discharging the ballast water from the ballast tank depending on whether the vessel is loaded with a cargo, in order to maintain its balance. Typically, the ballast water is charged at the port of departure and discharged at the port of arrival.
As ballast water, seawater is mostly used. It was reported that ballast water contains various marine organisms, including plankton, bacteria, or protozoans causing red tide, and that the ballast water is easily contaminated with these organisms during the voyage of the ship.
For this reason, ballast water containing various contaminants or marine organisms such as red algae is discharged to the coast and contaminates the coast. Particularly, foreign marine organisms are moved to various countries through the ballast water of the ship, thus destroying or disturbing the ecosystem, causing serious damage. In order to resolve this serious problem, the convention of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) requires ships to be fitted with a ballast water treatment apparatus.
With respect to the prior art relating to the treatment of ballast water of a ship, techniques of sterilizing the ballast water using ozone, electrolysis, chemicals or UV irradiation have been mainly used, but there was a problem in that the treatment efficiency for removal of contaminants is low. Particularly, the techniques that use ozone, chemicals or UV irradiation can possibly cause secondary contamination.